Everyone noticed the Washington Nationals’ progression, and many believed they soon would reach contender status.

With their recent draft picks ripening and after some spending in previous offseasons, the Nationals were considered a team on the brink of real success. In 2013, this could be a team to be reckoned with. But general manager Mike Rizzo got bold, trading highly touted prospects for one front-line starting pitcher (Gio Gonzalez) in December and offering another (Edwin Jackson) a one-year deal as signing season closed.

Because of those moves, the Nationals no longer are on the cusp of success; they are experiencing it. And their series in Atlanta is one of the premier matchups of the weekend.

Nationals at Braves

Even after the acquisitions of Gonzalez and Jackson, the Nationals generally were viewed as being a year away from seriously competing in a much-improved NL East. But thanks to some strong starting pitching and some talented young position players, Washington sits atop the division.

Casual fans know about Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg and outfield phenom Bryce Harper, but they might not know why the Braves are just as good.

Unlike in previous seasons when pitching carried Atlanta—not just the glorious 1990s but also the recent past—this team’s staff has been mediocre at best. But the Braves can score runs with anybody in the league. They rank in the top five in the NL in runs, home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS. And they have posted those numbers while playing their home games in a pitcher-friendly park.

Martin Prado and Chipper Jones have led the way offensively, but seven of the club’s regulars—Prado, Jones, Brian McCann, Freddie Freeman, Dan Uggla, Michael Bourn and Jason Heyward—have OPS-plus marks north of 100, the line for average.

Atlanta has slumped recently, though, having lost four consecutive games to the Cincinnati Reds and scoring just 12 runs in its past six games. There is a good chance the Braves’ offense will continue to struggle this weekend when the Nationals start Ross Detwiler (3-3, 3.65 ERA), Strasburg (4-1, 2.21) and Gonzalez (6-1, 1.98).

“Some kind of way we’ve got to find a way to scrap some runs across,” Bourn told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after Wednesday’s 2-1 loss at Great American Ball Park.

OTHER WEEKEND HIGHLIGHTS

The Reds have picked the perfect time to get hot because the St. Louis Cardinals have hit a bit of a rough stretch. Cincinnati has won six consecutive games to take over first place in the NL Central.

During their six-game winning streak, the Reds’ staff has posted a 2.50 ERA, and the offense has provided a cushion by scoring 27 runs. This weekend, the Reds will host the Colorado Rockies, who just snapped a six-game losing streak and are 5-16 this month.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, will host the Philadelphia Phillies and will face Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay in the four-game set that began Thursday. Since climbing a season-high two games over .500 on May 18, the Phillies have slumped.

There will be a lot of scoreboard watching in Cincinnati and St. Louis this weekend.

Tim Lincecum vs. Josh Johnson

One hurler is trying to dumb it down, while the other is trying to keep it going. They will go head to head Friday at Marlins Park.

Lincecum has made his consecutive Cy Young awards a distant memory. The San Francisco Giants’ one-time ace is 2-4 with a 6.04 ERA in his first nine starts. After allowing four earned runs in four innings in his most recent outing against the Oakland A’s, Lincecum said he just needs to stop thinking so much, take the mound with a bit of arrogance and challenge hitters more. His manager, Bruce Bochy, questioned Lincecum’s focus, but the righthander disagreed with that theory. So, the mystery of his struggles continues.

Johnson, the Miami Marlins’ ace, struggled early in the season but has thrown seven innings in each of his past three starts. In that span, he has allowed five earned runs and struck out 16 batters to drop his ERA to 4.82. That might not seem impressive, but his ERA was 6.61 before that three-start stretch.